12 Best Cars Under 30k - Mini Cooper S JCW

The average price of a new car is fast approaching the $30,000 mark. But the entries that make up this list are anything but "average."

Because we couldn't get our hands on the upcoming second-generation Mini Cooper S in time for this test, we took the current car outfitted with the John Cooper Works tuning kit. The kit adds an enhanced Eaton supercharger, modified cylinder head, redesigned airbox, higher-flow fuel injectors, a reprogrammed electronic control unit and a freer-flowing stainless-steel exhaust. The result is 207 bhp (compared with 168 stock), at a premium of $6300.

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Suspension tweaks aren't part of the JCW package, but the Mini Cooper S remains one of the best-handling front-drive cars. Its short wheelbase and light curb weight of just 2620 lb. made it a nimble little terror around our autocross course. Quick steering and the ability to rotate made R&T Specials Editor Andy Bornhop enthuse that it has "no real vices, just impressive abilities."

While just about everyone thoroughly enjoyed the Mini on the track, its quirky interior and jiggly ride hurt it on the street. There is simply no excuse for the tachometer to be partially blocked by the steering wheel, and a speedometer in the center of the car doesn't make a lot of sense, either. We also have yet to find anyone that likes the Mini's front seats, Design Director Richard M. Baron calling them a joke: "You sit on them rather than in them, and the adjusters are crude and cheap-feeling."

So while we'd be the first to tell you the Mini is a blast to drive on a canyon road, we'll also remind you that there are other cars out there for your $30,000. — Mike Monticello